"Get your own boyfriend"
Alex stopped as he rounded the corner and heard Jo's voice. Confused, he looked up to see her and Meredith face to face. Meredith began to smirk, "Are we finished?" she said, turning and walking away.
Jo's jaw hung open, rolling her eyes to will away the tears as she began to turn into the patient's room. Alex tensed, clearing seeing that the altercation involved him. He hated seeing Jo upset, and the tears lining her eyes was proof that something had really hit her hard.
He watched as she quickly prepped the patient, obviously trying to hide her tears from the man lying in the bed. As she exited and began walking down the hallway, Alex called for her – wanting to see what had made her so upset.
"Jo, wait", hearing the voice she knew all too well, she slowly turned around to face Alex as he jogged over to where she was standing.
"What is it, Alex? I'm really busy" Jo insisted, trying to keep her voice void of emotion, not wanting Alex to question was going on. But he knew her better than anyone, and could tell when something was off.
"What was that all about with Meredith? Why are you crying"
"Alex please, it was nothing. I don't want to talk about" she tried to fight off his remarks, but the emotions came bubbling to the surface, her eyes shining with fresh tears.
"Come on, I know it had something to do with me, just tell me. Do you want me to talk to Mer?" He asked, trying to figure out how to help Jo out.
"No, please don't bring it up with her. She'll just laugh in my face again, and now I have to be on her service I can't deal with that too" beginning to turn away, Alex grabbed Jo's hand and pulled her into the nearest on-call room.
"Alex, please I need to get the patient up to the OR, just let me go back to work" she sighed, trying to get out of the room but Alex was standing dutifully in front of the door.
"No, just tell me what's going on, and why you're so upset. You never cry, so I know there is something wrong, please don't try and tell me otherwise, I know you better than that." He said, exasperated.
"Grey just keeps pushing me down, and treating me like I'm the scum of the earth." Slowly backing away from the door, Jo leaned her head against the top bunk.
Approaching her gently, Alex placed his hands on her hips, "What has she been doing?".
Rolling her eyes down from the ceiling to look at Alex, Jo started "It's been going on forever, and I've sucked it up… I didn't do much to try and change it; I just thought I had to accept it. But then today, I walked into the OR and she just kept snapping orders at me about her pot-ops, nothing I seemed to do was right, and she called be Blake. After nearly five years, she still can't remember my name.".
Alex was shocked, looking at Jo and seeing the hurt and anguish in her face was enough to break his heart. But underneath all that hurt was anger. Anger at his best friend, his 'person', for who he'd been the sounding board for all her issues over the past two years. The person who hid the engagement ring he bought for Jo. The person who told Alex that Jo "post-it" loved him. Somehow his 'person' couldn't even remember the name of his girlfriend of four years, the love of his life?
Reaching out, Alex wiped his thumbs under her eyes, clearing away the tears that had finally fallen.
"Steph told me to stop complaining about Grey and do something about it. So I finally did, I finally decided that enough was enough, and I faced her, told her that what she was doing was wrong and she could keep treating me this way," Jo let out a small sad chuckle, "and she gave me the most condescending look I have ever seen and all but laughed in my face", the tears began to cascade down Jo's face.
Alex pulled her into his chest, his arms tightening around her shoulders. Jo pulled him close, finding comfort in the warmth radiating from his body as she sobbed into his shoulder. Alex kept pressing soft kisses to the top of her head, rubbing her back in a soothing motion.
Jo began to loosen her grip on Alex, but he puller her closer, "Not yet, just stay for a little longer. You don't need to face reality yet," he whispered into her hair.
That was all Jo needed to hear, burying her face back into Alex's chest, letting her guard down completely, the tears taking over once again.
Later in the day, Alex was walking down the hallway entering data in his patients chart when he caught a glimpse of Meredith.
"Mer, wait up. " he called jogging over to where she stood.
"Hey, you want to go get lunch? I'm starving," she said with a smile. Alex couldn't help but let out a humourless chuckle, "Are you serious right now? Do you really think I want to hang out with you?" Confused, Meredith looked up at Alex, "What on earth are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that you have been treating Jo like shit, and when she finally tries to stand up for herself you pretty much laugh in her face, and discount what she is saying," Alex let out, his voice full of anger.
"Oh Alex please, get over it. She was overreacting anyway." Meredith said, beginning to turn towards the cafeteria. Alex stood dumbfounded, almost letting her walk away.
"Really, Meredith? You seriously think she was overreacting?" he questioned, "Jo never cries, she's tough. But today, she was more upset than I have ever seen her and it is all because of you. She is the person I care about more than anyone else in the world, and has been for the past four years, and you can't even call her the right name. You called her Blake. The person who was there when your husband died, the one you hated and somehow managed to find a place for her in your life, but not for the woman who I want to spend the rest of my life with?" Alex was trying to keep his voice even, but his anger was getting the best of him.
"You know Meredith, if this is what being you 'person' is. Or if you think that it is ok for you to treat the people I love this way then you really need to pull your shit together." Alex began walking away, needing to get some air and clear his head.
"Alex, wait… I'm sorry ok. I didn't think that she would be this upset. I don't know why she even cares what I think of her."
Alex just stared at Meredith shocked, "You seriously think she doesn't care what you think of her? She knows that you are my best friend so she has put up with you kicking her out of bed in the middle of the night, and has let go of other things to keep the peace because she knows that you are an important part of my life. But you don't see it. You don't see her trying to get along with you; you just snap at her and haven't given her the respect or dignity of trying. So until you can figure out how to not be so selfish and treat Jo the way she deserves, you don't get to judge her."
Meredith stood dumbstruck as Alex walked away, her cheeks flushed after thinking about his words. Had she treated Wilson poorly? She knew what she needed to do next, and headed in the direction of the Resident's lounge.